Just Not My Night
by Two Phantoms
Summary: This is a sequel to my story Just One of Those Days. Amanda's bad day turns into a very interesting evening for Lee.


**Disclaimer:** The characters from Scarecrow and Mrs. King are the property of Warner Brothers and Shoot the Moon Productions. I have borrowed the characters without the consent or knowledge of Warner Brothers or Shoot the Moon. This story, however, is copyrighted to the mentioned author. This story is for entertainment purposes ONLY. If you would like to add it to an archive, please just let me know.

**Summary:** This is a continuation of my story "Just One of Those Days" only Amanda's bad day has turned into a very interesting evening for Lee.

**Timeframe: **Takes place some time during First Season. Near the end of the season, shortly after _I Am Not Now, Nor Have I Ever Been…A Spy_.

**Author's Notes:** I want to extend a very special thank you to Jan for betaing this story for me. This story wouldn't be the same without her input and guidance.

I know Edna Gilstrap is mentioned in at least two episodes, although I'm not sure which, at the moment, but I'm pretty sure, that in the episodes she is mentioned, her husband is not. Therefore, I not only took the liberty of giving her a husband, but of giving him a name as well.

Quite a few readers were begging to have a continuation of "Just One of Those Days" from Lee's perspective, so here it is, although this may not have been what you were expecting, it is what came out of my musings. What can I say, when an idea pops into my head, the story just seems to write itself. I hope you all enjoy it.

**_Just Not My Night _**

By Amy Firestine

_Prologue_

"Norman," Edna Gilstrap said to her husband as she peered out her front window. "He's back."

"Who's back, Edna?" Norman called from his seat in front of the television.

"That man I told you about, the prowler." Edna kept her focus on the yard across the street. "The one who keeps sneaking around Dotty West's backyard?"

Norman rolled his eyes. "How do you know he's a prowler, maybe Dotty's daughter is having an affair with the man."

Edna let out a snort. "Amanda King is too sweet to be having an affair, besides, Dotty says she's been seeing that Dean Maguire, the weatherman from TV, and she's positive Dean's going to ask Amanda to marry him." Shaking her head, she watched the figure slink into the back yard. "No, I'm convinced he's a burglar."

"Is the man dressed in black? Most burglars casing a joint, dress all in black." Norman asked, never taking his eyes off of the television program he was watching. "And, who tagged you the head of the neighborhood watch, anyway?"

"I'm just looking out for my friends." Edna huffed. "And no, he isn't wearing black, but this **is** the third time this week I've seen him sneaking around Dotty's yard and it's always around this time of night, too. I'm telling you, he's watching them, waiting for the right time to strike. How do we know he's not watching all the houses, waiting to steal from any one of our neighbors, or even us?" Turning away from the window, she headed towards the kitchen. "I promised myself that the next time I saw him, I would call the police." Entering the bright, cheerful room, she picked up the telephone. "And that's exactly what I plan on doing tonight. No one's getting robbed on my watch." Without another moment's hesitation, and with a self-righteous nod, she dialed 9-1-1.

_Part 1_

Lee stood on Amanda's back porch, straining to hear the conversation taking place inside his friend's cozy den. Although he couldn't hear much of anything, he could read Amanda's body language, and she definitely wasn't happy. Well not her usual chipper, optimistic self, that was for sure. She actually looked flustered. He wondered if that bozo had said something to upset her, because if he had, that man would never work in this town again. As he continued to watch the couple on the couch with extreme interest, he couldn't help but wonder, and not for the first time that evening, what the devil he was really doing here. And every time he had asked himself that very question, he came up with the same answer: he was checking up on a friend. Although most of his coworkers would find the idea insane, especially since Amanda King could be the most frustrating, annoying person, who always ended up sticking her nose in situations she had no business being involved in, he had to admit that he did consider her a friend.

Lee had sensed something was bothering Amanda during the ride home in the cab, and it had been nagging at him so much, that he had canceled his own plans, and now found himself standing on Amanda's back porch, watching the scene inside. When he had first arrived and saw the weatherman's car still parked in her driveway, he had almost called the whole thing off. However, deciding that he wouldn't be able to sleep until he knew his friend was okay, he had snuck around to the back of the house and now found himself spying on a very personal conversation. As he thought back to Amanda's uncharacteristic evasiveness earlier, he couldn't help but wonder if his friend was contemplating breaking up with Dean tonight. He sure hoped she was planning on doing so, because he wanted to see her happy, and for some reason he couldn't see Dean Maguire making her happy.

Every time Amanda mentioned the guy's name, a feeling came over Lee. It was a feeling that he just couldn't name, but it was something that told him that Dean Maguire was not the man for Amanda. Then again, maybe it wasn't really a feeling as much as it was common sense. He had seen the guy on the news, predicting the weather, if you could call what he did predicting; the man was usually only right one out of ten times, and truth be told, the guy was boring. He was, to put it mildly, just plain dull. Then again, who Amanda King chose to date really wasn't his concern. Nevertheless, if Amanda was planning on breaking up with Mr. '35 chance of rain' tonight, then she would most likely need someone to confide in. He'd been on both ends of a break up before, and if Amanda did want someone to talk to when the deal was done, well then, he would make sure she knew he was there for her. His thoughts were interrupted as he watched Dean stand up from the couch and reach into his pocket.

Lee's breath caught in his throat, the man couldn't be doing what he thought the guy was doing, could he? 'Oh no, he's not, oh yes he most certainly is… he's getting ready to get down on one knee.' Then suddenly, Dean stopped and turned his attention towards the stairs. Hearing the ruckus, and then seeing the two boys come bounding into the room, Lee understood why Mr. 'no personality' had suddenly paused. He watched with extreme interest as Amanda rose from the couch and took Dean's hand in hers. His eyes grew wide as he watched her start leading Dean towards the back door.

Lee fought back his sudden panic and began scanning the back yard, looking for a good hiding place. With stealth-like speed, he moved over into the gazebo. Stepping up into his hiding spot, he took a good look around and mentally berated himself. This was not the smartest place to go. Sure it was out of sight of the house, but if he were going to have a romantic or private conversation, the gazebo would be the perfect place for one. He silently prayed that Amanda wouldn't lead Dean back here. He heard the back door open and watched as Dean stepped outside ahead of Amanda and started heading in the direction of his hiding place. His heart stopped and only began beating again when he heard Amanda speak.

"Dean, I think we should stay close to the house. Mother's upstairs and I want to be able to keep a partial eye on Phillip and Jamie."

Lee peeked through an opening in the latticework of the gazebo and watched as Amanda led Dean over to the picnic table. '_Phew_.' That had been just a little too close for comfort. Taking a few silent breaths to steady his pulse, he quietly sat down on a portion of the bench that was hidden from view of the couple, and resumed his vigil.

"Dean," Amanda sighed, "you're a wonderful man and I know you care for Phillip and Jamie, and any woman would be lucky to have you…"

"Amanda, why do I get the feeling that there's a 'but' coming?" Dean watched his girlfriend, with an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of his stomach.  
"Because, there is." Amanda sighed again. "Dean, you should be with someone who will love you as you deserve to be loved, but…I'm not that someone. I'm sure you would like me to be, but I'm not. You should be with someone who will love you unconditionally and…well, although I care for you deeply…"

Dean put a finger to her lips. "You're just not in love with me, right?"

Amanda looked away from him, and towards the gazebo. Sighing, she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Dean." She turned to look back at the man who, after tonight, she would no longer be calling her boyfriend.

Lee had held his breath when Amanda had looked in his direction. Had she known he was there? No, she couldn't have, it had to have been just a coincidence. He decided not to dwell on that now, and focused his attention back on the conversation taking place just a few feet from his position.

"How long have you known?" Dean asked, watching Amanda intently. "Or rather, when did you finally figure out that things weren't going to work out between us?"

"It was just a few weeks ago, shortly after I got my memory back. You know how I got partial amnesia after that strange car accident I was in…the one where I missed having lunch with your mother." Amanda watched Dean smile endearingly at her and nod. "I knew then that if I had been in love with you, I wouldn't have forgotten you and I'm sorry Dean, but I just didn't remember you, much to my mother's dismay, I might add."

Dean let out a small sigh. "I guess I have to admire your honesty." He squeezed one of Amanda's hands affectionately and then started to rise from his seat. "If it's okay with you, I think I'll just head home, you know clear my head. Can you say goodnight to Phillip and Jamie for me? I guess it's more like goodbye, really."

"You can do that on your way out, you know." Amanda watched Dean shake his head, and bending down, he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I'm just going to head straight out. It'd be too awkward, because I wouldn't know what to say to them." Dean started moving towards the driveway, and then stopped at the edge of the yard. Turning, he looked back towards the house. "Say goodnight to Dotty for me. Tell her I'll call her tomorrow, I'm sure she's going to be upset by this news." Without waiting for a reply from Amanda, he stepped onto the driveway and headed for his car.

'_The nerve of that guy_.' Lee watched Amanda shake her head and he couldn't help but wonder if she was thinking the very same thing. He couldn't believe that Dean seemed more concerned about Dotty's feelings, than Amanda's, even if she had just told the guy he should move on. The man didn't even seem to put up a fight, which only confirmed his earlier thought that Dean Maguire was definitely not the guy for Amanda. She deserved someone willing to fight for her, someone who would treat her like royalty and be considerate of her feelings as well as those of her family's. She deserved someone like…Lee quickly shook his head to keep his mind from traveling any further down that path. The idea that he could even think of being the man for Amanda was totally insane. She wasn't even his type. No, Amanda King was just a friend, who, he realized as he took note of the melancholy expression on her face, might need someone to talk to. Then again, looking around at his hiding spot, he remembered that he had been spying on her and wondered if he should make his presence known or not. He couldn't help but wonder if she would be too mad at him for spying on her to accept his shoulder to lean on. Hearing her sigh, he decided to throw caution to the wind and was just about to step out of the gazebo when he caught sight of the back door opening.

"It's getting late, did you want me to tell the boys to get ready for bed?" Dotty asked as she made a quick scan of the backyard. "Where did Dean disappear to?"

"He went home." Amanda couldn't hide the sadness from her voice. Even though she felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, and she knew that she had done the right thing, she hated the fact that she might have caused Dean even an ounce of pain.

Dotty immediately stepped outside and moved over to her daughter's side. Sitting down on the bench next to Amanda, she wrapped her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "Dean asked you to marry him, and you said 'no' didn't you?"

"How did you know he was going to ask me to marry him?" Amanda glanced over at her mother, a curious expression on her face.

Dotty smiled knowingly. "I'm your mother, and besides, he told me he was planning on asking you tonight."

Amanda sighed. "You and Dean were probably closer to each other than he and I would ever be." Looking down at her feet she signed again. "Actually, I didn't tell him no. I never gave him the chance to ask me." She glanced back up at her mother. "I know you're probably going to be very disappointed in me, because I know how much you loved Dean, but I broke up with him tonight. I realized, just recently that I was never in love with Dean. I think, in some ways, you cared about Dean more than I ever would. I knew he was planning on proposing to me tonight, and he almost started to, before the boys interrupted. Anyway, I knew I had to put an end to it before it got any further out of hand, he didn't deserve me stringing him along. It's really for the best, Mother."

"I see." Dotty squeezed her daughter's shoulders affectionately. "Well, you did what you felt was best, dear. I could never fault you for that. I am going to miss him though."

"He told me to tell you he'd call you tomorrow, to see how you were doing." Amanda let out a sarcastic chuckle. "I'm sure he doesn't feel comfortable talking to his own mother about this. Mrs. Maguire was never my biggest fan."

"Well, that's one bright side to all of this. I don't have to worry about making nice with that woman since she's no longer going to be your potential mother-in-law." Dotty laughed as she leaned her head against her daughter's "How about we go in and, after the boys go to bed, you and I sit down and watch a good movie?"

Amanda smiled gratefully at her mother. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea." She gently left her mother's comforting embrace and stood up. "Why don't I herd the boys up to bed, and you can get the hot chocolate ready?"

Dotty rose from her seat and nodded. "Sounds like the prefect plan to me."

Lee watched as the two women made their way into the house, and waited to hear the click of the lock, before stepping down from the gazebo. Although he was glad that Dotty would be taking care of Amanda, he felt a little disappointed that she wouldn't be crying on his shoulder, and that thought suddenly scared him. Sure he had recently realized that he considered Amanda a friend, but it wasn't like she was that good a friend…was she? Shaking his head to keep his thoughts from going down that path, he quickly made his way towards the opening in the lattice that he had come through earlier. As he passed the kitchen window, he risked a quick glance in and saw Dotty working in the kitchen and saw Amanda disappear up the stairs, obviously making sure Phillip and Jamie didn't dawdle while getting ready for bed.

Lee was so focused on the activity inside the King house, that he didn't see the skateboard lying in his path. Before he knew what was happening, he had lost his balance and now found himself lying face first in the middle of Dotty West's flowerbed. He quickly rose and began brushing himself off. He then glanced back inside to make sure that Amanda's mother hadn't heard him. When he saw her still studiously making the hot chocolate she had promised Amanda, he let out a sigh of relief. Deciding not to tempt fate any further, he kept his gaze focused on the ground, to avoid tripping over any other obstructions, and walked briskly out of Amanda's backyard.

Keeping close to the bushes along the side of the yard, Lee reached the white picket fence and, as he quickly hopped over the fence, he came face-to-face with not one, but two police officers.

"Excuse me, sir, but is this your house?" Officer Berman asked, as she looked the suspect up and down.

Lee looked the police officer directly in the eye and shook his head. "No, officer, it's not, but a friend of mine lives here."

Officer Lindstrom let out a sarcastic snicker. "Sure, a friend. And do you always sneak around your friends' backyards?"

"Look, officers, my name is Lee Stetson and I assure you I'm not here for any reason other than to check up on my friend, Mrs. Amanda King. I know this must look awfully suspicious, but, you see, I'm a federal agent." Lee reached into his jacket pocket, hoping to find his federal ID. When all he found was a few pieces of lint, he couldn't hide the panic from showing on his face.

Officer Lindstrom shook his head in obvious disbelief. "Sure you are." Removing his gun from its holster, he aimed it at the suspect. "Raise your arms, please." When Lee reluctantly did as requested, Officer Lindstrom nodded towards his partner.

Officer Berman approached Lee and began frisking him, a little too slowly and a little too intimately for his liking. Trying not to think about the humiliation of the entire situation, Lee focused, instead on the officer herself. It was a shame that she was most likely going to arrest him, because if they were in the privacy of his apartment, the very attractive blonde officer would be looking for a different type of concealed weapon.

Officer Berman stopped her search when she came to Lee's gun and pulled it out of its holster. "And I suppose you have a license to carry this, too?" She asked, eyeing Lee suspiciously.

Lee rolled his eyes and nodded. Why oh why had he broken off his date for the evening? Because, he realized with pained awareness, Amanda King was rubbing off on him. A year ago, he wouldn't have given up a date with Crystal for anyone. This is why he didn't like emotional attachments. If he hadn't been so concerned about Amanda's well being, he clearly wouldn't be in this mess right now. "Yes, but it's with my federal ID, which, at the moment, I can't seem to find." He reached around to his back pocket and, pulling out his wallet, he handed it to the female officer. "Here's my driver's license. I'm sure if you just call down to your station, someone there can verify what I'm telling you."

Officer Lindstrom shook his head. "I'm afraid our radio's down. The way I see it, however, is that we have two choices. You can either come down to the station with us, or we can go over and knock on Mrs. King's door. If the lady of the house recognizes you, and she can verify that you are who you say you are, then my partner and I will let you go on your merry way. If, however, she doesn't, then we're definitely going to be taking you down to the station."

Lee didn't care much for either option. If they did go knock on the door and Dotty West answered it, she wouldn't know him from Adam. Not wanting to take any chances, he decided a stall tactic was in order. "May I ask what the charges would be? You can't arrest me without sufficient cause."

Officer Berman crossed her arms across her chest. "You match the description of a man one of the neighbors reported having seen sneaking around this very yard. She said that this isn't the first time she's seen you here, she's afraid you're casing the neighborhood."

Lee glanced down at his attire. He was dressed in a pair of nice khaki's and a polo shirt. Letting out a short laugh, he looked back up at Officer Berman. "You can't honestly believe that I'm a burglar. Do you honestly think a burglar would dress like this?"

Officer Lindstrom shrugged his shoulders. "How do we know you're not in disguise? We're still willing to go knock on the door of the house, if you would like. Clear all of this up in a jiffy."

Lee was trying to hold his temper in check, but to be accused of being a burglar was the most absurd thing he'd heard in a really long time. "This is ridiculous. I'm not here to rob anyone, and I don't want to disturb Mrs. King right now."

"Well, then I guess we have our answer. Since we found a concealed weapon on your person, and you cannot show proof that you are licensed to carry said weapon, and you are clearly not thrilled with the idea of asking the lady of the house if she knows you, we have no choice but to arrest you on trespassing charges." Officer Berman pulled a pair of handcuffs from her belt. "Mr. Stetson on the suspicion that you intend to commit a crime, we are hereby taking you down to the station. You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…"

Lee listened to Officer Berman read him his rights. Holding out his hands, he cringed as the cuffs were locked into place. As he glanced back towards the white house, he came to the sudden realization that, even if he did consider her a friend, Amanda King was a bonafide jinx. Lately, anytime he came near her, he found himself getting into some kind of trouble. Hadn't he recently risked being charged with treason just to rescue her from the hands of Russians who had mistaken her for 'the Scarecrow'? Feeling a hand on his elbow, he had to fight the urge to retaliate. Remembering that this was a police officer, and that any physical move right now would be seen as resisting arrest, he stoically allowed the officer to lead him to the waiting patrol car.

Officer Berman opened the back door and guided Lee onto the backseat. "You'll get one phone call once we get to the station."

Lee slid over onto the backseat of the police car and as he watched Officers Berman and Lindstrom climb into the front of the car, he began wondering where his ID could have gone. He was pretty sure he had it after he dropped off the cab, because he had gone home and showered before heading over here. He always kept his ID with his gun, and since he had his gun, he vaguely remembered putting his ID in his coat pocket before driving over to Amanda's. Which meant that it must have fallen out when he had tripped over that damn skateboard.

Leaning his head against the headrest, Lee let out a frustrated sigh. No matter what way he looked at it, he was going to have to call Amanda. If he called Billy, then his section chief would want to know why he was arrested in front of Amanda's, especially when there was no case to be working on and Billy would then read him the riot act at work tomorrow for having been arrested in the first place. He could possibly call Francine, but quickly erased that thought. Francine would be worse than calling Billy, because not only would she demand to know why he was at Amanda's, but she'd never let him live this humiliation down. Amanda was his only hope. He just hoped that she would forgive him when this whole mess was straightened out and that one day they'd be able to sit back and laugh about the whole thing.

_Part 2_

Amanda sat on the couch in her flannel nightgown, nursing a cup of hot chocolate. As the opening credits began on the movie, she glanced over at her mother. "This movie was the perfect choice, Mother. I just love Cary Grant. He's so nerdy in this movie. Though, I'll never figure out why Katherine Hepburn's character goes to all the trouble of having the leopard shipped to her apartment instead of just sending it directly to her aunt's house in Connecticut."

Dotty nodded. "I know, but you have to admit _Bringing up Baby_ is a classic."

Before Amanda could comment any further the phone rang. Leaning forward, she placed her mug on the coffee table and rose from the couch. She quickly moved into the kitchen and picked up the receiver. "Hello…you're where? Oh my gosh. How did you end up there and why are you calling me, surely you have some blonde you're supposed to be with tonight to call … Oh, I see." Her voice suddenly took on a more annoyed tone. "Hold on, I'll go check." Glancing over at her mother, who still appeared to be engrossed in the movie, she gently placed the receiver on the counter, moved over to the drawer next to the sink and pulled out a flashlight. With the small device in hand, she quietly moved towards the back door and snuck outside. Silently closing the door behind her, she turned the flashlight on and, keeping the beam low, began looking for Phillip's skateboard. She knew which one of her sons' it had been, since she had yelled at him earlier to put it away. Obviously, he hadn't.

"I need to have another talk with Phillip about responsibilities, and I need to teach Lee Stetson some manners. Not even a hello, Amanda how are you, did I disturb you?" Amanda's gaze fell on the offending sport gear, and she began scanning the area around it. "Who gets called in the middle of the night when he's in trouble? Not Mr. Melrose, not Francine, no…good old reliable, Amanda. Granted it's not technically the middle of the night, but it's not like I wasn't doing anything. God forbid I should be able to spend a quiet night at home, watching a movie and relaxing, especially after the day I had." Moving the flashlight near the edge of her mother's garden, her gaze fell on the familiar black leather holder.

Bending down, she retrieved the ID. Opening it, she made sure that it was, indeed, her friend's. Seeing the familiar picture staring back at her, she sighed. "What the devil was Lee doing back here, anyway?" Then it dawned on her, and suddenly she wasn't so sure she wanted to go and rescue Lee. "He couldn't have been, could he?" Standing back up, she turned off her flashlight and started back towards the back door. As she reached for the doorknob, she gazed over towards the gazebo and instantly she knew he had been there for the whole conversation with Dean. She had sensed a familiar presence, as if someone had been watching them, but had shaken it off, as mere wishful thinking. Well maybe not wishful thinking, more like a strange expectation. Lee always seemed to be around when she least expected him, or when she was in trouble. Although she hadn't been in trouble tonight, she had needed a friend. Shaking her head, she let out another sigh and, turning the knob ever so quietly, snuck back inside. As she made her way back over to the counter, concealing the leather wallet as best she could, she picked up the phone. "I'm sorry…" was all she got out before she heard an officer speaking on the other end.

"I'm sorry Mr. Stetson, but you're time is up." And then the line went dead.

'Great.' Amanda placed the receiver back on its base and then glanced towards the couch. How the devil was she going to explain this one? Of course, she could wait until her mother went to bed. It would serve Lee right to sit in the jail cell wondering if she was going to come and get him or not. Then again, her mother was bound to ask who had been on the phone. Deciding to just tell her that a friend was in need, she sighed and moved into the den. "Mother, that was one of my clients, the one with the chimpanzee. Apparently he's climbed up onto her chandelier and won't come down, and she seems to think that I'm the only one he'll listen to."

Dotty pulled her attention away from the television to look at her daughter with a very perplexed expression on her face. "Oh my, Ms. Desmond must be going out of her mind. She is the one with the chimpanzee, isn't she?"

Amanda nodded. "Yes, she's the one. I'm sorry, Mother, I guess we'll have to finish our girl's night another time."

Dotty nodded and waived her daughter off as she turned back towards the television set. "Well you have to do what you have to do."

"That's an understatement," Amanda muttered to herself. She then turned and stepped up onto the landing. '_Thank goodness I at least have Francine and her make believe monkey to fall back on_.' Glancing down at her attire, and then towards the stairs, she briefly debated on whether or not to go and change. She let out another sigh, and moved towards the closet. It wouldn't be the first time she went out in nothing but her flannel nightgown and an overcoat. Why should she have to change in order to go get Lee and then change again in another thirty minutes just to go to bed? He was already putting her out, why should she have to be inconvenienced twice? She had just reached the front door when her mother came rushing into the foyer.

"Amanda, I almost forgot. That lovely Ms. Desmond had mentioned that she wanted to try my strudel the next time she got a chance. I just happened to make a fresh batch this afternoon." Dotty handed her a nicely wrapped plate full of her famous strudel. "Please give this to her with my regards."

Amanda let out a sigh. She couldn't say no, because that would blow the whole cover story. Accepting the plate, she nodded. "I promise, Mother. Now I really should be going, I don't want to keep my client waiting." Turning the doorknob, she quickly stepped out onto her front porch. Glancing down at the strudel, she shook her head. What was she going to do with this? Oh well, maybe the police officers would appreciate it.

"Drive carefully." Dotty watched her daughter nod as she hurried towards her car. Waving as Amanda got into her vehicle, she closed the front door and locked it. "I'll never understand how my daughter got caught up in the business of caring for other people's pets, but she seems to be doing a wonderful job." She headed back into the den to finish watching Cary Grant chasing Katherine Hepburn's leopard around Connecticut.

_Part 3_

Lee sat on the gray, and very uncomfortable, jail cell issued cot. Glancing down at his watch, he let out a groan when he realized that his watch no longer on his wrist. It was currently in the front office along with the rest of his personal effects. Guessing that he had been sitting here for close to half an hour, he wondered what was keeping Amanda. Pushing himself up off the cot, he began pacing. He wasn't even sure if Amanda was coming. What if he hadn't lost his ID in her backyard, and therefore, she wasn't coming for him because she would have no proof to give to the officers that he was who he said he was. He suddenly grew worried as he remembered her brief 'I'm sorry' before the officer took the phone away from him. What if she hadn't found his ID, would she come down to the station anyway to try and bail him out? And if she did, would the officers' really trust the word of a mere housewife, even if it had been her backyard he was caught leaving. Then again, maybe she had found his ID and was too angry with him to come and get him. Letting him spend the night in jail would, in most people's minds, be the perfect revenge. Walking past the cot, on his way to the bars, he shook his head. Amanda wasn't most people. She didn't have a mean bone in her body.

Just as he was about to turn and pace back towards the back of the cell, he heard the door at the end of the hall open. Peering out through the bars, he saw Officer Lindstrom walking towards his cell.

"Mr. Stetson," Officer Lindstrom began, as he started fiddling with his keys, searching for the right one to unlock Lee's cell. "It appears that you're free to go." Finding the right key, he put it in the lock. Within seconds, the door was unlocked and the door swung open.

"Well it's about time." Lee didn't wait for a further invitation, and stepping out of the cell, he proceeded towards the door to freedom. Reaching for the doorknob, he cursed when it didn't turn. For a small police station in the middle of Arlington, this was certainly a very secure one.

"I'm sorry about the misunderstanding." Officer Lindstrom apologized as he unlocked the door with another key and then opened the door to let Lee pass into the other room ahead of him.

"Well, I suppose I can't fault you for doing your job. Making sure the streets are safe is an important job. I, better than anyone, can understand that." Lee stopped when he caught Amanda's disapproving expression. Trying to ease some of the tension, he smiled at her. "Hi." Then, as he noticed her overcoat, he glanced down and saw the little bit of flannel sticking out from under her coat, and an almost nostalgic expression formed on his face.

Officer Berman stood behind the counter and cleared her throat. "Mr. Stetson, here are your personal effects."

Lee moved over to the counter and accepted the parcel that contained his personal items. Taking his gun out of the envelope, he checked the chamber and made sure the safety was on, before placing it back in his shoulder holster. Next he pulled out his watch and wallet, and slipped the leather holder in his back pocket. As he put his watch back on his wrist, he noticed the time. An entire evening wasted, sitting in a jail cell, rather than enjoying Crystal's amorous kisses. Sighing, he reached back into the envelope and, after pulling out his car keys, he took a quick peek back inside to make sure he wasn't forgetting anything and noticed a small piece of paper. Pulling it out, he opened it and was pleasantly surprised to see the name Sandi Berman, followed by a phone number. Maybe this evening wasn't a total disaster after all. Looking up at the female officer he graced her with his famous Stetson smile and a sly wink. "Is there anything I need to sign?" He asked as he slipped both the paper and his car keys into the front pocket of his pants.

Officer Berman smiled in return and handed him a clipboard with a receipt attached. "Yes, if you can just sign here." She pointed with her pen towards the bottom of the paper. "You should be aware however, that you are being released into Mrs. King's custody. You see it's going to take a full twenty-four hours for everything to be cleared up and your record expunged."

Amanda watched Lee begin signing his name and then turned towards Officer Lindstrom. "Officer, I just want to make sure I understand what exactly that means. Until you're sure that there are no legal ramifications, and you've had a chance to talk to Mrs. Gilstrap, Mr. Stetson is my responsibility, correct?"

Officer Lindstrom nodded. "Yes ma'am, that means that if he goes anywhere outside the DC metropolitan area, he must notify you before he does so. If we cannot find him, and you have no idea where he is, you could be charged with negligence."

Amanda nodded and stared at Lee. "Thank you, officer." Watching the panic stricken face of her friend, she had to bite her cheek to keep from smiling. Truthfully, Lee was as free as a bird, but she had arranged the little custody discussion with the officers, to make Lee suffer just a little bit more. Since she was pretty sure he had been there to hear her earlier conversation, she wanted get back at him for spying on her.

"Thanks again for the strudel, Mrs. King. Your mother's strudel is worth a lot around here," Officer Lindstrom winked at Amanda, "so you can be assured that your 'affairs' won't leave this office. Our lips are sealed – we never saw anything and we definitely didn't hear anything."

Amanda plastered a smile on her face. "Thank you officer." She then quickly turned and began walking towards the door. Her reputation was now shot with the local police force.

Lee caught up to Amanda, and as they headed towards the exit, he looked at her. "You don't really expect me to check in with you for the next twenty-four hours, do you?"

Amanda looked back towards the officers. "Yes, Lee, I do. You heard what he said, if you don't and they need to find you, they could arrest me. You don't want that on your conscience, now do you?"  
She had to bite her cheek again when he groaned in response. Instead, she handed him his ID, and as they stepped out of the police station, she turned and looked at him with a stern expression on her face. "You know, you should be more careful with that. What if you hadn't been arrested, but had gone out on a case, and you didn't have that or more importantly, what if my mother or one of the boys had found it? Do you know how hard that would be for me to explain? And that's another thing, how the devil am I going to explain your presence in my back yard? You do realize that one of my neighbors called the police because they saw you prowling around. Apparently it's not the first time she's seen you. Which brings me to another point…"

Reaching her car, she took out her keys, and unlocked her car door. Climbing in, she reached over and unlocked the passenger door. "Do you realize that Officer Lindstrom is now the third person to accuse me of having an affair?" She continued as Lee started getting into the car. "And not just any affair, oh no, he's at least the second person, Princess Penelope being the first, who has accused me of having this alleged affair with you."

Lee smiled cunningly at the brunette. "Would that be so bad?"

Buckling her seatbelt and putting the key in the ignition, Amanda turned and looked quizzically at her passenger. "What?"

Lee brightened his smile, flashing her his dimples. "People thinking you're having an affair with me?"

"Ooooh." Anger and frustration were evident in her voice, as Amanda narrowed her eyes at him before starting the car. "Lee Stetson, you are the most exasperating man I have ever met." Putting the vehicle in reverse, she glanced out her rearview mirror and started backing out of her parking spot. "Instead of thanking me for coming all the way down her, in my pajamas, no less, which clearly shows that I was not just sitting around waiting for you to call me, you make a joke out of the situation." She moved the gearshift into drive and started the journey towards home. "What are you going to do, Lee, when one day you call, and I'm not there to come to your rescue?"

Lee looked down at his hands, feeling properly chastised. She was right, he was behaving like a heel. "I'm sorry, Amanda. I should be thanking you and I'm sorry for not being more serious. I don't deal with situations like this very well, and I tend to make jokes, it's easier for me that way." He looked over at her expectantly, however, instead of the forgiveness he had hoped for, Amanda just sighed. Not knowing what else to say, he turned his attention to the scenery passing outside his window. There was no doubt about it, she was definitely mad at him. But was she mad because she had to come down and get him at the police station this late at night, or was she mad at him because she had figured out that he had been eavesdropping on her conversation with Dean. Unable to stand the eerie silence any longer, he decided to take the bull by the horns. "So…do you want to talk about it?"

Amanda glanced briefly in his direction, before turning her attention back on the road. "Talk about what, Lee?" She wished she wasn't driving, because she really wanted to be able to read the expression on his face and know exactly what he was thinking. "Do you want to discuss the fact that you were arrested in front of my house and that it was one of my neighbors that called the police on you? Which, by the way, is going to take a lot of explaining on my part. Yet one more lie I get to tell and I'm sure that whatever story I come up with, Edna Gilstrap won't believe. Or do you want to discuss the reason that you were even over at my house in the first place, because I'm pretty sure it didn't have anything to do with a case, since if it did, you probably would have mentioned it to me this afternoon when you were giving me a ride home in the cab." She took a deep breath, and waited to see what Lee's response was going to be.

"Well…" Lee was suddenly at a loss for words. How was he going to explain his way out of this one, and why had he even brought the subject up in the first place?

"I see," Amanda kept her gaze focused on the road ahead. "So since it's obviously none of the above, I'm guessing that you want to discuss the fact that you were spying on me this evening and you heard me break up with Dean."

Lee nodded and silently cursed himself for bringing this topic up. "Look, I was concerned about you. You seemed so distracted in the cab, I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Amanda sighed. She knew she should be angry with him, but it wasn't very often that Lee went out of his way to be nice to her. Which clearly meant that he was finally realizing that she was his friend, and he was obviously beginning to consider her a friend as well. Friends looked out for each other, and, she realized, he had just openly admitted that he had been worried about her, another Lee Stetson first. "Thank you for your concern, Lee." Her tone was no longer angry. "But you needn't worry about me, I'm fine, really. It's kind of funny, actually, I feel oddly at peace. I guess it's someone's way of telling me I did the right thing."

Lee shrugged. "Well if you ever need someone to talk to, I've been in your place, more than once." He caught sight of Amanda's raised eyebrows as the car passed below a street lamp. "Okay, I know my reputation has preceded me. But regardless of the reasons, or the number of ex-girlfriends that I've had, I just wanted you to know, that I understand your position."

Pulling up to a red light, Amanda turned her head and gave Lee an appreciative smile. "Well, thank you. It means a lot to me that you'd be willing to discuss such things with me." The light changed green, and she turned her attention back on the road in front of her.

Lee glanced back out the passenger window. What was it about Amanda King that made him want to share certain feelings with her? He had never been open about anything personal with anyone before, and now, he was willingly offering up his support and advice. Whatever the reasons behind it, he needed to change the topic of conversation to something a little safer. "Um, Amanda, you're not taking the officer's instructions seriously, are you?" He looked back in her direction.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean," Lee let out a frustrated sigh, "you don't really expect me to check in with you until this whole mess is cleaned up, do you?"

Amanda cleared her throat and nodded. "Yes, Lee, I do. I realize you may not be able to tell me exactly where you're going, for reasons of national security, but if you plan on leaving the DC area, I think it would be nice if you at least called to tell me."

"A-man-dah." Lee moaned. "This is ridiculous. I've never had to check in with anyone before, well other than Billy."

"Have you ever been arrested before, Lee?"

Lee shook his head slowly. "Well…no, but…"

"Well, then I suggest we stick to the guidelines on this one, Mr. 'I love to break the rules'." Amanda let out an exaggerated sigh. "And I promise to let you know the minute the police call me to tell me that you're in the clear."

Running a hand through his hair, Lee groaned. "Fine." Then noticing that they were turning into her neighborhood, he couldn't help but wonder what story Amanda had come up with to explain her leaving the house so suddenly. "By the way, where did you tell your mother that you were going?"

Amanda shrugged. "I told her I was going to take care of a client's chimpanzee."

"Are you saying that I'm some kind of primate?" Lee stared at her incredulously.

Amanda began laughing. "Honestly, Lee, it was the first thing that came to mind…but now that I think about it, it was quite appropriate."

"Very funny." Lee rolled his eyes and then let out a sigh of relief when he saw his car up ahead. He couldn't wait to get home and put this night behind him. "Thanks for the ride…and for coming down to the station and bailing me out."

"You're welcome. I just hope this doesn't become a habit." Amanda pulled her station wagon up next to Lee's car. "Well, I guess this is goodnight. It sure has been an interesting evening."

"I'll say." Lee opened the passenger door and climbed out of the car. He then poked his head back in and smiled. "By the way, I've always liked you in flannel."

"Good night, Lee." Amanda narrowed her eyes at Lee playfully. "Remember to check in with me tomorrow."

Lee rolled his eyes and nodded reluctantly as he closed the door. Walking over to his Porsche, he reached into his pocket to pull out his car keys. Feeling the slip of paper that came out along with his keys, he looked down and smiled. He wondered if Officer Sandi Berman would be free for dinner tomorrow night. Putting the paper back in his pocket, he glanced over towards Amanda's house and watched as she pulled her car into the driveway. Well, whether the pretty blond was available or not, one thing was for sure, it was going to be a long time before he paid Amanda King a purely social call again, unless he could find away to fix the situation with her nosey neighbor.

_Tag_

Lee had parked his Porsche just two houses down from Amanda's house and now sat watching as the delivery boy, who was probably a college student trying to earn extra money, rang the doorbell of the house across the street. While he waited for the occupant to answer, he couldn't help but wonder if he was doing the right thing and that he wasn't going to make things even more difficult for Amanda. All he knew was that he still felt somewhat guilty for last night and wanted to do something for his friend in order to make up for everything, and if the flowers worked, then hopefully, her neighbor would not only get off of Amanda's case, but would not call the cops if she saw him slinking around Amanda's backyard again, which he would have to be more careful about doing in the future.

The front door opened and Lee watched as the older woman accepted the flowers from the young man and then immediately went to open the card attached to the flowers. Assured that the plan was in motion, he stepped on the accelerator and, shifting into gear, headed into work.

Edna looked up to see the silver sports car zooming by. Shaking her head, she muttered to herself, "People drive way too fast these days." She then turned her attention back on the card attached to the very simple arrangement of flowers:

_Dear Mrs. Gilstrap,_

_Please accept these flowers as a token of appreciation from your government. Your presence of mind and quick action helped resolve a difficult situation. However, as this is a case of national security, we will have to enforce the secrecy surrounding the events that took place in your neighborhood and must therefore ask you to desist in mentioning the events of last night to anyone. We hope that you will be able to rest easier knowing that the residents of Maplewood Drive are safe and well protected and any further efforts on your part, while appreciated, are no longer necessary._

_Sincerely, _

_Your friendly neighborhood guardian_

"I wonder what the devil actually happened last night. I knew I should have kept watching after the cops arrived. I would love to ask Amanda or Dotty about it, but apparently, my lips are supposed to be sealed. I just hate keeping secrets." Edna, with the arrangement of mums in hand, glanced briefly across the street before stepping back inside her house. Sighing as she closed her door, she couldn't help but wonder if she would, indeed, be seeing the mystery man again.

_**The End**_

**Authors End Note: **

One day, while Jan and I were chatting, the topic of Lee sneaking around Amanda's backyard came up, and we wondered why none of the neighbors never called the cops on him…so, along with some urging to write a sequel to Just One of Those Days, this story was written. I hope you enjoyed it.


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